Detectives still looking into courtroom cameraman

TRENTON — A teenager who appeared to be pointing a cell-phone camera at a murder trial with secret witnesses is under official investigation by Mercer County detectives.

Assistant Mercer Prosecutor James Scott said a probe had been opened into the events before Superior Court Judge Robert Billmeier on Tuesday afternoon, when the teen pointed his phone toward judge and witness in the courtroom.

In court Wednesday for the murder trial of Patrick McFarlane, friends of the suspected cameraman would not disclose if the young man was arrested and charged after his phone was snatched away and he was whisked out of the courtroom by Mercer sheriffs.

They did say the teen was a juvenile, however, and that the well-behaved 2-year-old boy who accompanied him to court that day was his little brother. Among the McFarlane supporters in court yesterday was his little sister.

McFarlane, now age 24, is charged with killing Rick Mason, 44-year-old father of four from Bordentown, with a bullet to the back at a curbside Trenton dice game on May 4, 2008.

Scott prevailed upon media outlets to withhold the names of his key witnesses, both convicted felons now being hidden in different prisons. Despite the precautions, eight young friends of McFarlane appeared in the audience Tuesday to hear the names and see the faces of those helping the prosecution.

And with authorities trying hard to protect witnesses from retaliation, deputy sheriff Kelly Gogan pounced on Tuesday when the teen pulled out his cell phone as the jury was leaving the courtroom. Mercer Detective Anthony Abarno, Scott’s aide for the McFarlane trial, is handling the spinoff investigation.

Meanwhile, both Scott and defense lawyer Steve Slaven rested their cases and are expected to deliver closing arguments at 9 Thursday morning, meaning the jury could begin deliberation by day’s end.